Anybody have back issues?

cptzippy

New member
Had a bad back for the last two years and it may end up retiring me from the Army. If you've had back problems, what's helped you?
 
I am just recovering from my recent lower back injury. I went to the doctor and had xrays to show nothing and got prescribed naproxin and was told to go to physical therapy. In pt we figured out my back pain was caused by tight hamstrings. They connect at the bottom of the lower back. I would have never figured this out on my own. Now whenever my back hurts I just need to stretch my hamstrings and I'm all better.



Before I figured this out laying down and a heating pad is what I needed to get through the day.
 
Back issues? I wouldn't know anything about that, j/k! Four back surgeries before the age of 30 (two when I was 17, one at 26, and the last one at 29). I've got 3 discs in my low back that are degenerative and keep rupturing. Actually, two of them have ruptured once and the other one has ruptured twice (got too active after my first surgery when I was 17).



Other than medication, there's not much I can do for my back. Along with degenerative disc disease, I have a lot of arthritis and scar tissue from all the surgeries. I've pretty much just had to adjust to my "new normal" of chronic back issues.
 
Low grade L4-5 Spondilolythesis and 10-12 hours a day in a lead vest and apron.

I use a GOOD Chiropractor for flare ups, but my savior has been my inversion table. I use it every morning and worked when nothing else provided relief.



Also very (maybe most) important is loose hammies and strong core.



Bend your knees!!!! May sound sillya but study good body mechanics.
 
I have a weak lower back and it caught up with me last thanksgiving-put me in the ER and I lost a lot of work through december (not that there was much to do, but I had set up a lot of maintenance accounts, which would have been good money-thankfully they waited for my recovery). The PT taught me a bunch of stuff; many of them are yoga-ish moves.



1: The Cobra: lay face down, arch backwards, neck/head extended back, support your torso with your elbows for 20 secs

2: Cobra Push up: same position, doing push-ups with your hands just outside of your shoulder width. Keep your pelvis to the ground/lift with your back using your arms for support.

3: The Bridge: face down, pull your elbows in tight to your chest and support your upper body on them, keep your torso/butt suspended in the air with your back as level as possible your legs will ramp down ward-supported on your toes. You should feel tightness in your lower back and abs. hold for 20secs

4: Leg lifts 1 set face down, lift each leg 10-20 times alternating. Another set, laying on your back (try to keep your back flat, use a book to support your butt if needed)



I do these before and after every detail. I also use advil often. If your back is sore, use ICE not heat.
 
^^ Good tips! I screwed up my back with 5 years of improper posture at Architecture school. Always hurts but the more exercise the better it is. I'm waiting to get back to weight lifting when my wrist heals as my back felt best when I would lift regularly.



The above exercises are a must for anyone with a bad back.
 
Another thing that I've done away with is the rolling/creeper stool. This was setting me up for disaster. Sitting was nice, as long as i was working on things above my chest line. As soon as i would start to do lower areas (wheels/rockers/lower doors) that was putting stress on my lower back. The PT suggested to loose the stool and strap on some knee pads. When I do something down low, go down to one knee, keeping the other at a right angle-this makes your spine stay straight!
 
Only time I've had any issues is after car wrecks but a good chiropractor took care of that.



Best thing you can do for your back is work your stomach muscles since they support 70% of your upper body weight. Strong abdominals will go a long way towards alleviating back issues.
 
I broke my back several years ago after being struck by a vehicle. Every now and then, I have flare ups, and even going to multiple chiropractors didn't do anything. I finally hooked up with a pain management specialist, who provides me with a series of shots while under flouroscopy, and I have never felt better. I have had 3 shots in a two year time frame and the last one was 3 years ago. I have not had to go back since.
 
I broke my back in the army, Busted my t12 and l1 along with 7 herniations. Changed what i can and can not do dramatically.
 
my back was so screwed up i couldnt have a job and/or a normal life. (bad injury in a car accident 15years ago (not my fault, the drunk idiot t-boned us), crappy bones (thanks dad's genes) and not listening to the parents while i was a kid ("pull the belly in, straighten up, dont sit like that..."), and over all that, 2 flips in the air with the honda 1 year ago (again not my fault), ended smacking with the roof on a tree, stopped upside down on a huge rock). couldnt even hold the rotary buffer for longer than 30mins without having to spend the next day in bed. im 6.6ft and at the time had 165 pounds. (198cm and 75kg)



started kickboxing over 1 year ago.

now im 6.7 high but with 192 punds, still going up, want to hit 220 at least, like i had during the college days. focused on building weight of the muscles long the spine. abdominal muscles helped a lot like someone mentioned in the earlier posts. and some girls like it too. :p

my physiotherapist said im nuts and im gonna kill myself or end up in a wheelchair with such an activity considering my problems at the time. he still cant believe how im still alive and such in a good shape now.

(just wanted to share, dont make me write a disclaimer on how im not suggesting any kind of martial arts to cure back problems, but hey... it helped me. f** helped, it changed my life!)



-take care when lifting weights- do it with your knees, not with the back. even if its a low weighted object. (srsly, this helps A LOT. dont just roll with the eyes when someone says that to you. just do that way. after a few days, you will already feel some relief.)

-exercise! everyday! even if its for 10mins a day. when tired or when it hurts, STOP and rest.

-do more exercises when you can, as you start to feel better, try with a sport.

-visit a good doctor, do treatments with laser for relief and electrostimulators as cure if he says so. dont skip that.

-on everything you do, take a sec or two and think about an easier way to do it.



thats how i went from:

spinal disc herniation, 3mm

split spine (born that way, thanks mom and dad :D )

screwed up spinal ligaments and tendons caused by car crashes and rough track days



to:

3 1hour trainings a week, 4 light sparring sessions a week, 1 full contact spar with no gear except the toothguard a month.



so dont think its impossible, just follow some basic rules and take care of yourself. you may not be able to lift 500pouns but you can drastically change your life.



sorry for the long post but its a thing that marked my life so i have a lot to say about that. :p
 
loodi said:
my back was so screwed up i couldnt have a job and/or a normal life. (bad injury in a car accident 15years ago (not my fault, the drunk idiot t-boned us), crappy bones (thanks dad's genes) and not listening to the parents while i was a kid ("pull the belly in, straighten up, dont sit like that..."), and over all that, 2 flips in the air with the honda 1 year ago (again not my fault), ended smacking with the roof on a tree, stopped upside down on a huge rock). couldnt even hold the rotary buffer for longer than 30mins without having to spend the next day in bed. im 6.6ft and at the time had 165 pounds. (198cm and 75kg)



started kickboxing over 1 year ago.

now im 6.7 high but with 192 punds, still going up, want to hit 220 at least, like i had during the college days. focused on building weight of the muscles long the spine. abdominal muscles helped a lot like someone mentioned in the earlier posts. and some girls like it too. :p

my physiotherapist said im nuts and im gonna kill myself or end up in a wheelchair with such an activity considering my problems at the time. he still cant believe how im still alive and such in a good shape now.

(just wanted to share, dont make me write a disclaimer on how im not suggesting any kind of martial arts to cure back problems, but hey... it helped me. f** helped, it changed my life!)



-take care when lifting weights- do it with your knees, not with the back. even if its a low weighted object. (srsly, this helps A LOT. dont just roll with the eyes when someone says that to you. just do that way. after a few days, you will already feel some relief.)

-exercise! everyday! even if its for 10mins a day. when tired or when it hurts, STOP and rest.

-do more exercises when you can, as you start to feel better, try with a sport.

-visit a good doctor, do treatments with laser for relief and electrostimulators as cure if he says so. dont skip that.

-on everything you do, take a sec or two and think about an easier way to do it.



thats how i went from:

spinal disc herniation, 3mm

split spine (born that way, thanks mom and dad :D )

screwed up spinal ligaments and tendons caused by car crashes and rough track days



to:

3 1hour trainings a week, 4 light sparring sessions a week, 1 full contact spar with no gear except the toothguard a month.



so dont think its impossible, just follow some basic rules and take care of yourself. you may not be able to lift 500pouns but you can drastically change your life.



sorry for the long post but its a thing that marked my life so i have a lot to say about that. :p



Thanks for posting!
 
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